MAPPAR Workday *PICS*

[Kater]

This past Sunday I went with 8 other animal lovers to a sanctuary in Pardeeville, Wisconsin--- north of Madison. The sanctuary is called the Midwest Animal and Potbellied Pig Association & Rescue (MAPPAR.) You can learn more about them at their website: http://www.mappar.org/

I planned this outing myself and have been working on it since my initial e-mail went out on September 9th! It was so nice to see it finally all pull together! We even got 100% attendance!

I had so much fun! We did all kinds of work….cleaned kitty cages, stacked hay bales, rearranged kitty carriers and bags of cat food, weeded, cut down small trees with pruning shears, gave medicine to various animals, repaired openings in the barns to keep the pigeons out, raked pigeon poop ( ), scraped paint, washed buckets and kitty bowls & rolled up this nasty old carpet and then dragged it down the looong driveway. We also got friendly with the various cats, potbellied pigs, hogs, horses, sheep & dogs on the property. It was a great half-day of food, fellowship and hard work! Now for the pictures…..

These are someone else’s pics but I hope to be able to post mine soon! However, I used a disposable camera and I haven’t even used up the roll yet. I got some great pictures of the barn kitties so you’ll have to stay tuned for the second installment!

Here are some of the beautiful fall colors we saw on our country drive! (This picture doesn’t even do them justice!)


Here is an artistic shot of the old barn that is home to the piggies (potbelly & hogs) on the first level and many feral (and not-so-feral) rescued kitties on the second level.


Here are all the volunteers (except the guy who is taking pictures)….I’m the tallest one…..


Here is Cookie munching on some breakfast. Potbellies really *SMACK* when they eat! It’s so cute! Cookie was my favorite by far because she was so friendly and interactive! If there wasn’t such an overpopulation of potbellies, (similar to the dog and cat overpopulations problem) a girl like Cookie might be able to find an indoor home. She would be well suited to one!


These two piggies were sold to their future guardians under the impression that they were potbellies. Well, take one look at them and you’ll know they are much too big to be potbellies! This shot was one second shy of catching them mid “snout kissy.” So cute!


~MORE TO COME~

[Kater]

Here is one of the small groups of potbellied housed together at this sanctuary. They really like to dump their food bowls over when they eat! Sometimes they will try to dump the bowl again and again after it has already been dumped and succeed in only bopping their foreheads with the bowl’s edge. They are really humorous creatures, it’s like they put on a little show for you!


Here is one of our volunteers coaxing Cookie girl. Isn’t she a cutie pie!


Here is another volunteer feeding a piggie a piece of apple through the fence. We learned early on not to go into the pens when feeding apples --- the pigs go into a bit of a frenzy and the big hogs in a frenzy is quite intimidating! Nah, it’s just kind of scary to have them rush at you but only results in sloppy nose kisses that leave piggy drool all over your pants. They’re big animals but without a mean bone in their body!


Here is one of the horses. Both horses had terrible mats and burrs in their manes and tails. It made me sick to my stomach to see them like that. The woman who runs the place asked us if any of us had experience grooming horses or sheep and I really wished I did! No one in our group did but she promised us she will be contacting the volunteer who usually does grooming very soon. It must be so heavy for the animals to carry around all that extra weight! It reminded me of something you would see on Animal Precinct or something.


Here is one of our volunteers giving the horse a chin rub!


Here is the same horse and his pasture mate, a shyer pony (?) munching on some carrots I brought. It kind of looks like a cigar the way it’s hanging out of his mouth!


Next are some pictures of the doggies inside the sanctuary manager’s house! These two are her own dogs but she also had some fosters (which you can see when I develop my pictures & scan them!)

Here is her sweet old shepherd mix. He reminds of a bit of our very own Duke! He had the most laid back personality and I was just in love with this big guy! Here he is getting some belly rubs!


~ the following might be upsetting to sensitive individuals ~
And last but not least is the adorable disabled Chi…this is the only dog I’ve ever seen that is missing *both* FRONT legs! His original guardian was a druggie and took poor care of the Chi. At one point they were in a car accident together and supposedly this is how he lost his two front legs. The owner also complained that the dog was incontinent and thus could not be potty trained. I suspect he was just too high to ever realize when the pup needed to be let out! But now he’s in a much better situation and gets around on some wheels outfitted just for him or lounges in his little laundry basket as seen here. He was very calm and sweet.


OK, that’s all I have for now but I hope to put up the photos I took sometime within the next few weeks!

[Desert Arabian]

Nice pictures! I wish I could have made it that weekend!! I feel so bad that I couldn't go!!

Both horses had terrible mats and burrs in their manes and tails. It made me sick to my stomach to see them like that. The woman who runs the place asked us if any of us had experience grooming horses or sheep and I really wished I did! No one in our group did but she promised us she will be contacting the volunteer who usually does grooming very soon. It must be so heavy for the animals to carry around all that extra weight! It reminded me of something you would see on Animal Precinct or something.

Oh no, I now I feel really bad that I didn't go. I could have groomed the horses! That is all I do at horse camp is get the burdock out of the mane and tail. OMG- SO ITCHY! It gets in yer clothes and scratches you up, so not fun- but I do it anyways. I have scares on my arms from it, lol. Burdock is very bad to have in the horse's mane, because it can scratch up their eyes. A good trick I use is soaking the mane in baby oil, and the burrs slide right out- so easy!

[captain]

What a beautiful thing to do ...... Thanks for sharing the pics. Soooo gorgeous

[Uabassoon]

Those are great pictures! I love the pictures of the piggies

[RubyMutt]

Great photos, Kate! I really enjoyed them How wonderful of you all to go out there and do all that work. All the critters are so CUTE!

I can't believe that poor chi's story At least he's well cared for now. He's adorable!

Thanks for sharing

[aly]

So glad you finally got to go Kate. Good job on the planning! The pics are just lovely and I especially love the little Chi.

[Aspen and Misty]

Thats awesome!!!! Nice pics!

Ash

[Kater]

Here are some more pictures I just had developed and scanned.....

Indoor piggy & Dillon in the foreground.


Piggy snout!


Sweet Dillon - a foster. (his petfinder ad: http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?act...review=1&row=0)


The household's Alpha! (and a major humper....)

Look at those cute toe tufties!

The shepherd mix getting some scritchies!

[Kater]

More pictures of the sweet disabled Chi. I thought he was a foster and I saw an ad for him on petfinder but it has since been removed. Yay for failed fosters!

[Kater]

Outdoor piggies enjoying the sunshine....







Pretty barn kitty...

[Kater]

The trio - Zelda the sheep and her pony and horsie companion! (I forget their names )







That's all for now.

[captain]

Kater,

Thanks for posting more pics .....

That Chi just breaks my heart ...